Hotpot Gas Exploded in Taiwan: Here’s What You Hotpot Fans Have to Know

There is nothing like a tantalising hot pot aka steamboat on a chilly day—especially now since Singapore is experiencing a deluge of rain and gusty winds.

I don’t know about you but I get very queasy whenever the staff changes the gas tank. I would always inch away from the table until the whole process is done.

Maybe I watched too many Final Destination movies, but better safe than burnt.

Image: reddit,com

Unfortunately, my fear turned into a reality at a hot pot restaurant in Taiwan.

On 9 November, a monstrous fire broke out at a hot pot restaurant in Taiwan’s Changhua County due to a gas leak, Channels NewsAsia reported.

What happened

Seven people, including a three-year-old girl, were injured by the explosion.

The CCTV footage of this mishap has been uploaded to the internet.

As you can tell, one of the staff was having trouble to change the gas cylinder for a tabletop gas burner.

The people at the table started to move away from the table, followed by people running out of the restaurant.

Unfortunately, a family of 3 seated at the table next to it couldn’t escape as they were cornered.

When the fire broke out, you can see the father jumping over the back of the seat with his daughter to escape.

11 fire engines, 4 ambulances, and 30 firemen rushed to the scene, Liberty Times Net reported.

Image: Liberty Times Net/National Fire Agency of the Ministry of the Interior

They had to break the window to enter the restaurant.

Image: Central News Agency

The father is 37-year old Mr Yeung who suffered burns to 26% of his body, including his face, torso, hands, and feet.

His daughter and wife were also burned. The daughter sustained burns to 20% of her body whereas the latter had burns to 10% of her body.

The 16-year old staff who was struggling with the gas cylinder also suffered second-degree burns to 24% of his body and he might suffer facial disfigurement from his wounds.

How did it happen

The staff accidentally left the gas nozzle switched open when he removed the tank, Taiwan News reported.

The gas started to leak and the customers caught a whiff of it and they started to scramble out of the restaurant (which explains why people left the restaurant even before the explosion).

The fire department told Taiwan news media that based on a preliminary investigation, the staff member did not comply with the standard operating procedure of changing a gas tank.

Image: Central News Agency

Further investigations will be carried out to single out the exact cause of the fire.

What seemed like a nice night out for dinner turned into a ghastly incident.

From the preliminary investigation, diners should be extra careful when staff are changing the tank. They might have a busy day and sometimes they can make mistake, they are human after all.

Another telltale sign is when you smell a intense gas smell, it means there is a gas leak of sorts.

If you do get caught on fire (touch wood), remember these three steps.

Stop, drop and roll!

One can never be too careful when dealing with gas burners. I don’t think I will be visiting a hot pot establishment anytime soon.

Or you can always visit the ones with an electrical stove. #justsaying

Since you’re here, why not watch a video about an NTU student who went all out to impress his crush, only to end up in…tragedy? Here, watch it and do remember to share it (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel)!

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

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Featured image: Central News Agency